Julie Chapus's Blog - Posts Tagged "god"

Ever been down and just feeling miserable? You are not alone. I called my friend in a panic this week because I just could not understand why I was feeling so miserable. I just knew something was wrong but I wasn't sure what was happening or why. It was one of those times when I was feeling so anxious that I found it difficult to even pray. I knew I had a problem but had no idea what was going on. Times like this can be very scary, but thank God for friends. My friend ''Michelle'' from the Blame Game helped me tremendously. She took my issue to the Lord right away, and received all kinds of information as to what was happening to me and my situation. She let me know I had to stop believing lies the enemy was throwing at me. She was able to calmly approach the Lord when I just felt like falling apart and couldn't seem to think straight. We all have these times in life, but once I knew what was really going on, I was able to stop feeding into the lies the enemy was throwing my way. I know we often don't think about the enemies attack on our lives, but when he strikes it's not pretty and it's all to tempting to fall into fear. The next time you are facing fear, turn to God, and He will get through to you one way or another. He will stop the attack, and He may very well send a friend like Michelle your way too.

Have you ever noticed in life we can have these lulls where nothing seems to be happening, and then by some chance encounter or miracle all of a sudden things are happening very quickly. So fast in fact, you feel like you have been caught up in a whirlwind?
Well, that is exactly how this week has been for me.
We moved to a small town about 3 years ago. My husband has had the same job for 25 years, and for the most part has worked with the same people all of these years. Well Dave realized that one of his coworkers happens to live in the same town as us. When he realized this, he said, "we should have her over for dinner sometime". Well life just got busy, and we never acted on the invitation, until this past week. We were just expecting to have a nice dinner with a nice lady who had lost her husband. We were looking forward to it and thought it would bless her in some small way. But what ensued has been nothing short of a miracle.
She asked me what I have been up to since the move. Well, you can't ask me that question and not hear about the books. I gave her the whole background story of how they came to be and she, on the spot, wanted both of them. Now that usually happens, so I didn't think to much about it. Then I received a call from her about 2 days later telling me she loved the books. She truly felt like they were needed not just for kids, but for adults as well. The next thing I knew people from David's work were placing orders for the books and they were not just buying 1 or 2.
I mean these people are buying bulk to help spread the word about the books. I even got a letter from a judge supporting us and our efforts to get the book into as many kids hands as we can. I knew these books were a calling from the Lord, so I had always figured God would get them where He wanted them to go. I knew He could open doors, but I never really thought He would open so many so fast. I can hardly keep up. I have already had to re-order more books because so many people are buying them. It's very exciting yet also very humbling. It has also made us very aware that God uses those around us to help us and bless us at times too.
Here, we thought we were the ones doing the blessing by inviting Joan over, yet the Lord has used her to help us more than we could have ever imagined helping her.
I just love how God works through people to bless and to heal us. Please be encouraged to be a blessing to others because you never know how God will use them, and they just may bring many blessings to you.

Have you ever noticed the girl in the mirror points things out to make us feel bad about ourselves. The girl in the mirror pointed out yet another gray hair today. She is very observant, and nothing gets by her. ''Oh my, what's that on your forehead? Oh, I see you are getting wrinkles.'' She didn't hold back to tell me about the few extra pounds she noticed either. All of a sudden I was feeling very bad about the girl in the mirror. But wait, what's that voice I hear? Telling me to turn away from the girl in the mirror. What is He saying? Can I really be hearing this right? ''I love you, you are perfect just the way you are. You are My creation. What the girl in the mirror sees is a dull comparison to what I see. I see the heart I have given you. I see the generosity I have poured into you. I see my love shining brightly in you. I am changing you from the inside out. What the girl in the mirror sees is only a dull reflection. What I see is a beautiful piece of work, always learning, always changing, and always growing in love. Stop listening to the girl in the mirror. She only sees one layer and it is only skin deep. I go much deeper than that. I see my Spirit in you, always refreshing you, always renewing you and always helping you be who I created you to be. You are mine, and I love you. Listen not to the girl in the mirror for she seeks to tear down and destroy based on looks only. I seek to renew, refresh and build up the one I love, the one I created, the one I never ever want to be without. You are loved more than you will ever know. Stop listening to the girl in the mirror, and start listening to Me.''

We have all experienced the coming and going of people in our lives. We all know that things change, people move, and people die. Nothing is permanent on this earth. But have you ever been so close to someone or something and honestly thought, "I just can't make it without them"?
Well, this is what I have been faced with recently.
When I was called into service to write books the Lord specifically told me who was to help me through this process. I just always assumed this meant forever, now maybe it does and maybe it doesn't, and I really don't know. All I know is recently the Lord showed me a path that I must walk on with Him all alone. I know I can't bring others with me, nor can I bring anything. All I can do is choose to walk this path with God. I didn't realize how much I was depending on others to help me walk down my path. I honestly thought, "I can't make it without these people in my life, they must walk with me", but little by little, the Lord has been showing me we all have a path to walk. Our paths may meet at crossroads or at forks in the road, but we must continue down our own path. I can't leave mine to follow a friends, nor can they leave theirs to follow my path. We each must walk on our own path. It does not mean we won't have helpers along the way, but, what I am realizing is it is only Jesus who will walk us all the way home. I don't know what kind of terrain lies ahead of me. I have no idea what peaks and valleys are awaiting. I have never walked this path before, all I know is I must keep walking.
If you are struggling in a similar situation right now, perhaps dealing with a breakup or knowing you must walk away from something you really enjoy, please know you are not alone. The Lord will walk us down the winding road, whether it be summer, spring, winter, or fall, He is always there through every season of change.
Although we may need to say good by to others and leave things behind at different times in our lives, the Lord will never leaves us, or forsakes us. May we take His hand, and walk this path through every season of change.

My Father God, we remember you on the 4th of July and we honor you alone. Before we were born a nation, you were first and foremost in our forefathers prayers. All of our policies, government, and money rotates around you.
Since the birth of our nation you have blessed the United States with freedom. Because of you, our nation has prospered. Even with our world the way it is today, you still bless us.
We pray for all our soldiers residing with you who fought for our freedom. Bless them in your holy land. We pray for all of our soldiers fighting today, that you will protect and guide them.
Even in our Pledge Of Allegiance, we remember you, "one nation under God". We are nothing without you.
Please remember your servants in this day and age and bless us on this freedom day.

Amen

We have all had people in our lives we look up to. People we think really have it all together. They know what they are doing, they know why they are doing it, and they really know how to get the job done. These people can be powerful tools and resources in our lives, but is this really good for us? It can be. It's always beneficial for us to learn wisdom from those who have walked the path before us, but there is a danger with influential people in our lives as well.
How can powerful influencers be a danger? The danger is not in the influencers themselves. The danger lies in us. There is a fine line between influence and idols.
When we look up to someone, we may like what we see, like it a lot, and want to do things exactly like these people. We may take on traits and behaviors we would not have come up with on our own. And therein lies the problem. How is that a problem? From experience, I can tell you when I was trying to do things just like someone else, it never really seemed to work for me the way it did for them. I would go nuts trying to figure out why. I would talk to them and see what I needed to tweak. I would try, and seem to fail again and again. I would take more advice and do more tweaking and pretty soon started thinking, maybe I'm just not good enough. Comparing myself with the people I wanted to be like made me miserable.
I would look up to them and fall short every time. I didn't realize all the while I was taking on a condemning spirit of myself. And pretty soon it was affecting everything in my life. When things were not working for me the way I thought they should, I would beat myself up thinking there must be something wrong with me.
I spent years trying to fix myself so I could be just like my idols. When it seemed to work I would feel great about myself, and when it didn't work I would feel down. It's an awful roller coaster ride that never seems to end. It never really occurred to me perhaps this was not the plan for my life.
I never even considered God may have something totally different in mind for me. I was just so focused on my influencers/idols, I was missing out on all the things God wanted for me.
Well thank God He brought this to my attention. I am on a totally different path now and loving it. God is showing me things I never knew I could have. I didn't even know this path existed for me. I am so happy I have learned the difference between influencers and idols.
People, no matter how powerful, are not what we should look up to. We should look to our Creator, the one who made us and the one who knows the plans He has for us. We all matter, we all have a job to do, and God knows exactly what that is. We can all be happy and feel fulfilled when we do what we were created to do. If you feel stuck in this condemning pattern, this simple prayer may help:
Dear Lord, please show me what you want me to do. I receive the plan you have for my life. Guide me in the way I should go. Amen.

We have all watched beautiful dance performances where the performers move in sync with each other, making very difficult moves look easy. Every time I see these type of performances, it makes me want to learn to dance.
One morning in my prayers the Lord asked me to dance with Him. I thought to myself, "ok Julie, now you are really losing your mind." But, I got up and said yes to God. Pretty soon we were ballroom dancing across the living room floor with dips and twirls and twists, the whole nine yards. It must have looked crazy but I didn't care. I was having so much fun I said, "Wow, Lord! I didn't realize you like to dance!"
He taught me a very important lesson that day. He taught me when I walk with the Lord, I get distracted by all the other things around me. When I walk, I don't stick to the path, I go here and there. However, when I dance, I must follow the Lord's lead. I don't know where He is going next but we are moving together so fast I cling to Him so I won't miss a step and fall. When we dance, the Lord is my only focus.
I never looked at dancing as training in faith, but it is. When dancing, you must stay with your partner, and trust your partner, you must follow his lead, you never walk away or get distracted when you are being twirled and dipped, you hang on for dear life! At least that's what I do. I have never moved like this with anyone.
At one point I even said, "Lord, my husband may get jealous". He said, "Why? He can dance with Me too if He wants". I couldn't help but laugh.
I am just blown away by the Lord and all He does to pursue us and keep us looking to Him.
If you are just trying to make it through the day, I would encourage you to ask Jesus to dance. He is awesome and you will not be disappointed.
I really do dance with Him every morning now. Dancing with Him puts me in a better mood and I am able to find joy in my circumstances.
I now know, that no matter what, Jesus really is there, not only to help us through our problems and everyday life, but He wants us to dance with Him, all the way through our days.
Next time you hear, "May I have this dance?" My deepest hope and prayer is that you will say yes Lord.

Have you ever thought about spending a weekend with God? I knew God was asking me to get alone with him and get real quiet, so this past weekend I went on a silent retreat to the Abbey of Genesee. It was an amazing experience. The monks hold prayer services at the Abbey where psalms are chanted. These services are open to the public, and the monks observe silence during their work. They are well known for their bread as well. Perhaps you have heard of it; Monks Bread made by trappist monks.
I really wanted to write about the Abbey because the grounds are just beautiful, and they have hard workers on staff that make our meals, and make us feel very welcome even though silence is observed by all. The retreatents lack nothing. There is a bathroom and sink in each guest room, and a shared shower. The grounds are so peaceful and very well maintained. There is a path that leads to the Abbey and to the greenway trail so you can really experience God in nature. I cannot say enough about this place, but to top it all off in the midst of silence, God draws out the things from the deepest recesses of our heart. I gained many insights and many things were revealed to me and I was only there for one weekend. Needless to say, I am going back. If you have ever thought about taking a retreat I would encourage you to do so. It is amazing, and I am sure quite a different experience awaits for each of us as only God knows what He would like to reveal to us. But even in the midst of dealing with hard issues, there is no better place to be than surrounded by God and nature. His peace certainly does reside in this place.
God bless, and please check out the Abbey of Genesee in Piffard, NY.

Have you ever had one of those days when you wish you could just go back to bed and make the day be over with already? Have you ever just wanted to fast forward to tomorrow?
We have all had days that just seem to bomb from the minute we wake up to the minute we go to bed. But just hoping for tomorrow really steals the gifts God has for us today. I know we may not feel well or we may be facing a huge problem.
We tend to think we can't take anymore and sometimes we really do wonder how we will make it through the day. God is with us though, and He promises we will never be given more than we can handle.
As I have been studying my bible recently, I have discovered that a lot of our problems are just opportunities for us to practice handling them God's way.
It's amazing to see what happens when we determine to do something the right way. Our level of peace grows, and I have been amazed at the calm I have experienced in my heart regardless of my outward circumstances.
Today I would like to encourage you to do the right thing. If you are facing any kind of problem look up issue in the back of your bible, read all about how to handle it God's way.
It is amazing to watch God work for us when we are determined to handle things His way regardless of our feelings.
Once we discover the peace He really wants us to have, we won't have to wish for our day to be over. We won't have to hope for tomorrow either, we can be content in where we are today.
Don't miss out on God's awesome power in your life! Let's be determined to start handling our problems God's way!

After having a wonderful conversation with a good friend last night, I was left with the question, "What makes a good friend?"
People in our lives come and go. We have friends for a short time, and some for the longer haul. We have friends to hang out with, friends to comfort and share things with, and friends to just let loose with. All of these types of friends are good in their own right.
But what makes a good friend? I learned last night.
My friend and I were separated by God. He called her into service away from me. I was headed in my calling while she was headed into hers. We had to separate for a time. She obeyed God, although I didn't understand the need for her to be pulled away.
Her obedience to God by backing off of our friendship helped me to grow in ways that would have never been possible, had she been right there for me to turn to.
See, I needed to learn and grow with God, and learn not to turn to someone else for guidance and direction. I needed Him, but as long as she was there I would go to her not Him. He knew this, but I wasn't aware. So by being pulled away from our friendship, she was being an excellent friend to me.
Although it hurt, I now know a good friend will always obey God and turn away from us if it's the best thing for us. A good friend wants to see us grow, and be healthy. But even more a good friend wants us going to God because they know they will not be there forever. They know God will always be there forever and ever, no matter what. A good friend will do what they need to do selflessly even if it means they get hurt too, just to see us in a better place. A good friend will even walk away if they know it's best for us.
If you are in a situation right now that feels enmeshed and if you know the relationship is unhealthy the following prayer may help.
Dear God, please help me turn to you and not someone else for the answers only you can give. Help me turn wholeheartedly to you, God. I know you already have solutions to every situation in my life. Thank you God for always leading, guiding, and directing my steps. Thank you for removing anything from me even my friends, if it means I will take my eyes off you. And thank you for giving us good friends that point the way to you. Amen.